Home

Appalachian Research Initiative for Enviromental Science (ARIES) addresses the enviromental impacts of the discovery, development, production, and use of energy resouces in Appalachian.

The Appalachian Research Initiative for Environmental Science (ARIES) works with more than 60 researchers at 8 – 14 universities in more than 30 disciplines. For more about the research sponsored by ARIES, click here: http://www.ariesenviro.org/research/publications

Appalachian Research Initiative for Environmental Science (ARIES) is a research consortium representing West Virginia University, Marshall University, University of Kentucky, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Virginia, Wise, St. Francis University (PA) and consultants in Epidemiology and Occupational Health (which includes faculty from Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, and George Washington University). It also includes researchers from Virginia Tech and is managed at the Commonwealth of Virginia legislated Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research.

Previous efforts to restore former coal mine sites in Appalachia have left behind vast swaths of unproductive land. Now, a group of nonprofits and scientists are working to restore native trees to the region — even if it means starting the reclamation process from scratch.

This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

It’s a sunny October day on the outskirts of the west German town of Bottrop. A quiet, two-lane road leads me through farm pasture to a cluster of anonymous, low-lying buildings set among the trees. The highway hums in the distance. Looming above everything else is a green A-frame structure with four great pulley wheels to carry men and equipment into a mine shaft. It’s the only visible sign that, almost three quarters of a mile below, Germany’s last hard coal lies beneath this spot.